The Best Smartwatches of 2026: Your Expert Guide for Android and iPhone

Choosing a smartwatch can feel like an impossible mission with the plethora of new models constantly entering the market. What once was a mere curiosity has evolved into an essential tool for millions. In 2026, with more devices than ever, the selection process can be a genuine headache. But fret not, I am here to assist you! Our rigorous evaluation process has thoroughly tested the best smartwatches on the market for both Android and iPhone users. We’ve leveraged years of expertise to provide a clear and straightforward guide on which devices truly warrant your investment.

How to Choose the Perfect Smartwatch for You: Key Considerations

Finding the ideal smartwatch is akin to looking in a mirror and asking, “What do I truly seek?” Do you want a phone extension for message alerts, or are you focused on intensive workout tracking and advanced health statistics? Do you dread daily charging? Here are the essential points you should consider before making a decision:

Compatibility: Will it work seamlessly with your phone (Android or iOS)? This is paramount!
Software: Does it come with the latest software version to ensure it’s up-to-date?
Updates: Is it a brand that prioritizes keeping its devices updated?
Budget: How much are you willing to spend?
App Support: Can you use your favorite apps, both proprietary and third-party?
Battery Life: How many days will it last without needing a charge?
Fitness Tracking: Will it help you achieve your physical activity goals?
GPS: Does it have its own GPS, or does it rely on your phone’s (dedicated GPS is often preferred)?
Heart Rate Accuracy: Does it accurately measure your heart rate, which is crucial for health and fitness?
SpO2 Monitoring: Does it track your blood oxygen levels? (Useful for various health insights).
Sleep Tracking: Is it effective at monitoring your sleep quality?
On-Wrist Calls: Can you answer calls directly from your wrist?
Voice Assistant: Does it listen and assist you without needing touch input?
Notifications: How does it alert you to important information without being overwhelming?
Digital Payments: Can you make payments with it without pulling out your wallet? Extremely convenient!
Companion App: Is the mobile app easy to use and does it provide valuable insights?
Comfort and Aesthetics: Do you like how it looks and is it comfortable to wear all day?

The Best Smartwatches of 2026: Our Top Picks!

Google Pixel Watch 4: The King for Android Users

Award: Editor’s Choice

Price: $349.00

Overview: The most polished Pixel Watch to date, featuring satellite emergency communications, a super-powerful AI on your wrist, and breathtaking health and fitness tracking.

What We Liked:

Beautiful and elegant design with an Actua 360 display and thinner bezels.
Finally repairable! With replacement parts available.
Improved battery life and charging.
Integrated Gemini works wonderfully.
Heart rate accuracy is superb.
Satellite SOS provides extra peace of mind.

What Could Be Improved:

The screen is not sapphire, which is a missed opportunity.
GPS could be slightly more precise.
Some full Fitbit Premium features require a subscription.
The charger is not compatible with previous models.

Our Expert Take:

This timepiece is, without a doubt, the crown jewel for Android users. Google has gone all out with the Pixel Watch 4, delivering a Wear OS experience that is pure silk. Powered by the Tensor G4 chip, everything runs smoothly, navigation is a pleasure, and it integrates wonderfully with your Pixel phone. Its heart rate tracking is impeccable, thanks to the latest Fitbit algorithms. For outdoor runners, its dual-band GPS proves consistently reliable. Furthermore, its elegant design, available in 41mm and 45mm, with incredibly thin bezels and a brilliant 2,000-nit OLED display, is impressive. Best of all, it’s now easier to repair and charges more efficiently, enhancing its longevity. With new watch faces, more customization, on-watch summaries, and improved security features (courtesy of Gemini), the Pixel Watch 4 represents Google’s most complete vision for your wrist.

Verdict: The ultimate Android smartwatch for seamless integration, advanced features, and elegant design, ideal for those seeking a premium Wear OS experience.

Apple Watch Series 11: Your Ideal iPhone Companion

Award: Editor’s Choice

Price: $399.00

Overview: The eleventh generation of the Apple Watch, boasting a refreshed design, a slightly larger and thinner display, and a significant new health feature: sleep apnea detection!

What We Liked:

The larger screen is a welcome improvement.
Thinner and more elegant, a pleasure to wear.
Sleep apnea detection is FDA-approved, a significant health advantage.
watchOS 11’s new features are highly useful.
Faster charging.

What Could Be Improved:

Battery life remains 18-24 hours; it could be better.
SpO2 measurements are disabled in the U.S.
The Vitals app feels somewhat simplistic.

Our Expert Take:

For iPhone users, the Apple Watch Series 11 remains unsurpassed. It offers unrivaled third-party app support and integrates with your iPhone as if it were a natural extension. Its clean, elegant design, coupled with annual watchOS enhancements, provides a powerful user experience. The Series 11 is not a radical overhaul but brings significant improvements: smoother performance, more durable materials, and finally, better battery endurance, making it a very practical upgrade. During our evaluations, heart rate tracking proved highly accurate, and the revamped workout app simplifies data access and content streaming. The GPS continues to be exceptional, perfect for athletes. watchOS 26 further enhances usability with prettier watch faces, an updated interface, and additional gestures. It stands as one of the most comprehensive smartphone companions, efficiently managing notifications and your well-being.

Verdict: The quintessential smartwatch for iPhone users, offering unmatched integration, a vast app ecosystem, and critical health monitoring capabilities.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8: The Best for Samsung Loyalists

Award: Recommended

Price: $349.99

Overview: Featuring a brighter screen and enhanced battery, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 introduces a new “squircle” design, innovative strap accessories, state-of-the-art software, a 50% brighter display, and a slightly larger battery.

What We Liked:

Exceptional comfort; you barely notice you’re wearing it.
Stunning AMOLED display.
More practical strap system.
Advanced health and sleep tracking.

What Could Be Improved:

Your old straps will not be compatible.
Battery life doesn’t fully meet advertised claims.
Charging is somewhat slow.
Lacks the rotating bezel or crown that some users prefer.

Our Expert Take:

If you’re deeply entrenched in the Samsung ecosystem, the Galaxy Watch 8 is undoubtedly your best option! This generation brings a slimmer, “cushion-style” design and a new Dynamic Lug system, enhancing comfort and simplifying strap changes. It runs on the latest Wear OS 6 with Samsung’s One UI 8 Watch overlay, ensuring fluid animations, cleaner menus, and faster tools. It integrates uniquely with Galaxy phones and packs a host of health and fitness features for continuous tracking, along with several days of battery life. Improvements in sleep tracking and detailed workout metrics are impressive. Its lighter, low-profile design also makes it super comfortable for exercise and daily wear. For those preferring a less sporty style, the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic ($499.99) brings back the popular rotating bezel and features a stainless steel build. If maximum battery life and ruggedness are your priorities, the Galaxy Watch Ultra ($649.99) offers a larger case and even more robust materials.

Verdict: The ultimate choice for Samsung users, offering deep ecosystem integration, advanced health tracking, and a comfortable, refined design.

Garmin Venu 4: For Serious Fitness Enthusiasts

Award: Editor’s Choice

Price: $549.99

Overview: An elite health and fitness tool disguised as a smartwatch, with a primary focus on health, exercise, and accessibility.

What We Liked:

More elegant design with a brighter-than-ever display.
Cleaner, faster, and more accessible operating system.
Advanced fitness and training tools.
Impressive health tracking suite.
Reliable heart rate and GPS accuracy.
Excellent battery life.

What Could Be Improved:

Still lacks integrated maps and LTE option.
As a smartwatch, it’s less comprehensive than Wear OS or watchOS devices.
Expensive if you don’t require highly detailed fitness and health tracking.

Our Expert Take:

The Garmin Venu 4 not only refines its aesthetics with a more modern and elegant design but also significantly boosts its health and fitness performance. It combines a brilliant AMOLED display with an updated user interface previously seen only on higher-end Garmin models. It now features a lightweight, all-metal chassis, giving it a more refined look and making it comfortable for 24/7 wear. For dedicated athletes, Garmin is the brand of choice, and this watch offers an incredibly comprehensive fitness tracking experience. New tools like Health Status and Lifestyle Logging help track long-term wellness trends, and Garmin Fitness Coach provides structured workouts. GPS and heart rate accuracy were consistently reliable during our tests, and the battery lasted over a week! While its smartwatch functions don’t compete with Wear OS or watchOS in terms of app ecosystem or LTE support, for those who prioritize actionable fitness data, the Venu 4 is an outstanding option.

Verdict: The top-tier fitness smartwatch, perfect for serious athletes who demand precise tracking, advanced health insights, and excellent battery life.

OnePlus Watch 3: The Battery King!

Award: Recommended

Price: $329.99

Overview: The OnePlus Watch 3 arrives with Wear OS 5, improved battery, and much more. Its elegant titanium alloy design features a functional rotating crown and astonishing battery life.

What We Liked:

Fantastic battery life; forget the charger for days!
Powerful Wear OS 5 platform.
Functional rotating crown.
Large and colorful display.

What Could Be Improved:

Only available in one case size, which is somewhat large.
Some features were not available at launch.
Heart rate and GPS data are not entirely perfect.
Still no LTE model.

Our Expert Take:

The OnePlus Watch 3 is a solid Wear OS option that shines with its dual-chip architecture: a Snapdragon W5 running Wear OS 5 and a second “efficiency chipset” for RTOS. This enables dynamic usage modes with brutal battery savings, making it the best choice for Android users who want to avoid daily charging. In smartwatch mode, the battery lasts up to 5 days, while in Power Saving mode, Wear OS relaxes, extending autonomy for several more days with basic smart functions and wellness tracking. The software interface is fluid, and the device responds excellently in both modes. Although Wear OS offers a robust experience, it hasn’t yet been updated to the latest version. The watch is only available in a 47mm case size, which might be a bit large for some wrists.

Verdict: The go-to Android smartwatch for users prioritizing exceptional battery life and a robust Wear OS experience, ideal for extended use between charges.

Withings ScanWatch 2: The Best Hybrid (Elegance and Health Combined!)

Award: Recommended

Price: $349.95

Overview: A powerful hybrid smartwatch focused on your health, with a beautiful analog look and very discreet smart technology. It tracks activity, cardiovascular health, sleep, SpO2, and female health statistics, performs on-demand ECGs, detects atrial fibrillation, and even monitors your temperature!

What We Liked:

Premium and super elegant design; it looks like a traditional watch.
Up to 30 days of battery life!
An arsenal of health tools.
Very useful fitness tracking.
Available in two sizes.

What Could Be Improved:

The screen is small, being a hybrid.
The price is a bit high.
No integrated GPS.
Limited smart features (as it’s a hybrid).

Our Expert Take:

The Withings ScanWatch 2 is a very special choice, combining an elegant analog format with discreet smart functions. Its strength lies in Withings’ advanced health tracking: it offers a medical-grade ECG monitor, pulse oximeter, and 24/7 heart rate monitoring, all with astonishing subtlety and precision. In addition to basic activity and health metrics, the ScanWatch 2 alerts you to signs of bradycardia and tachycardia, performs on-demand ECGs, measures your skin and ambient temperature, monitors blood oxygen at night, and conducts respiratory scans for sleep apnea detection. During our evaluations, it proved to be a very reliable and comfortable sleep tracker. And it has the best battery life on this entire list! The addition of detailed female health tracking directly on the device and automatic workout detection for over 40 activities are notable improvements.

Verdict: The best hybrid smartwatch, offering a perfect blend of classic elegance, advanced medical-grade health tracking, and unparalleled battery life.

Garmin Fenix 8 AMOLED: The Ultra-Luxury for Adventurers

Award: Editor’s Choice

Price: $999.99

Overview: Ready for any adventure! The Fenix 8 AMOLED is an “ultra”-level smartwatch in every sense, packed with features for adventure enthusiasts, incredible durability, and excellent battery life.

What We Liked:

Bright integrated flashlight. Great for nighttime!
Excellent battery life.
Super precise activity tracking.
Available in three case sizes.
Powerful speaker.
Sharp AMOLED display that is truly stunning.

What Could Be Improved:

Proprietary charging cable, which can be inconvenient.
Titanium option costs more.
Can feel bulky on small wrists.
Very, very expensive.

Our Expert Take:

While the Venu 4 is excellent, the Garmin Fenix 8 AMOLED is, without a doubt, the best Garmin watch and the best ultra-premium smartwatch money can buy. It might be too robust for some casual users, and its price is high, but it’s hard to find a watch that offers more for athletes behind a crisp, vibrant screen. It incorporates the best of the Garmin ecosystem, with three case sizes (41mm, 47mm, and 51mm) to fit almost any wrist. The new microphone and speaker, along with voice assistant support, allow it to compete with Apple and Samsung’s Ultra wearables, but with significantly better battery life. It offers fantastic GPS tracking alongside the reliable Elevate V5 heart rate sensor, which proved to be highly accurate. For training, athletes can access features like Training Readiness and Body Battery, as well as an infinite number of activity types.

Verdict: The ultimate smartwatch for serious adventurers and multi-sport athletes, offering unparalleled durability, advanced features, and exceptional performance at a premium price.

HUAWEI Watch Ultimate 2: Luxury on Your Wrist!

Award: Editor’s Choice

Price: £799.00

Overview: A smartwatch that is a statement of luxury with exceptional build quality, reliable GPS, and impressive diving tools.

What We Liked:

Attractive and premium construction with a bright 1.5-inch display.
Unique X-Tap sensor for accessing health metrics with a touch.
Reliable dual-band GPS plus offline maps.
Advanced diving tools with resistance up to 150m, truly impressive!
Excellent battery life.
Independent eSIM calls.

What Could Be Improved:

Can be too large for some wrists.
NFC payments and other smart functions vary by country.
App support and integration with other ecosystems are somewhat limited.

Our Expert Take:

The HUAWEI Watch Ultimate 2 is an adventure watch with a luxury focus, combining premium materials with serious outdoor and diving capabilities. Built with zirconium-based liquid metal, sapphire glass, and a ceramic bezel, it looks like a high-end dive watch while offering reliable GPS, robust health tracking, and advanced wellness metrics. Its size is undeniably large, but for users seeking a distinctive piece, the Watch Ultimate 2 stands apart from typical smartwatches. Huawei’s hardware ambition is evident: the 1.5-inch AMOLED display reaches up to 3,500 nits for easy readability in direct sunlight, while its 20 ATM resistance and full diving support firmly place it in adventure territory. The overall build quality feels functional rather than ostentatious. GPS performance and health tracking proved consistently reliable, and Huawei’s advanced TruSense system provided detailed metrics like ECG, HRV, and arterial stiffness on demand.

Verdict: A luxury adventure smartwatch that delivers exceptional build quality, advanced outdoor capabilities, and comprehensive health tracking for discerning users.

Honorable Mentions: These Are Also Worth Considering!

HUAWEI Watch GT 6 Pro

Award: Recommended

Overview: A fitness-focused smartwatch with a luxurious design. The HUAWEI Watch GT 6 Pro stands out for its exceptional battery life (21 days!), premium build quality, attractive design, and a bright, sharp 1.47-inch AMOLED display. Its angular octagonal titanium case, sapphire glass, and elegant fluoroelastomer strap give it a distinctive dress watch aesthetic that works equally well in the gym or the office.

Apple Watch Ultra 3

Award: Editor’s Choice

Overview: Apple’s best smartwatch, now even better! The Apple Watch Ultra 3 continues the line of rugged, high-performance watches, offering subtle refinements for those who prioritize durability and functionality above all else. If you’re looking for a more robust build, longer-lasting battery, and some extra safety features for your adventures, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 delivers, albeit at a higher cost.

Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 5 Enduro

Overview: A long-lasting Wear OS smartwatch, ideal for your outdoor escapades. The Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 5 Enduro is one of our favorites due to its exclusive dual display that facilitates exceptional battery life. It’s built to last, with sapphire glass and a functional rotating crown for super fluid navigation. Its GPS performed wonderfully during the testing period, and we appreciate its color-coded heart rate zone system for more precise training.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra

Award: Recommended

Overview: Ultra capabilities and durability, on a grand scale! The first smartwatch to run Wear OS 5, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra elevates Samsung’s status in the wearables market. With 10ATM, IP68, and MIL-STD-810H certifications, you can swim with it in the ocean without worries. A 1.5-inch always-on AMOLED display covered by sapphire glass, a robust set of health and fitness trackers and sensors, and a 590 mAh battery promise an “ultra” experience.

Our Rigorous Review Methodology: Why You Can Trust Our Insights

We have extensively tested and reviewed wearables professionally for years, predating the collaboration between Samsung and Google on Wear OS, and long before Apple launched the inaugural Ultra generation. Our comprehensive evaluations cover dozens of smartwatches, fitness trackers, dedicated heart rate monitors, smart rings, sleep trackers, exercise equipment, and health and fitness applications and platforms. In essence, we have rigorously pushed these products to their limits, gaining a profound understanding of what truly makes them valuable and which features are most impactful.

When commencing each review, our focus is twofold: user experience and value. First, we adopt the perspective of a typical user, observing everything from comfort and design to performance and features. We send messages, download applications, and utilize all functions, from timers to gesture controls. To go a step further, we leverage our expertise and comparative metrics, relying on tools such as dedicated heart rate monitors, pedometers, pulse oximeters, and trusted sleep trackers and GPS devices. We design varied training plans to thoroughly test the accuracy of fitness tracking and closely monitor stress and sleep to review recovery metrics.

Crucially, we use the device consistently to gain a deep understanding of everything it offers and what it’s truly like to incorporate it into daily life. Additionally, we use other competing products concurrently to compare differences and collect comparative data.

Upon completing this extensive process, we evaluate the wearable along with all collected details to assess its true value. This means determining its position within the overall market and deciding if its price is fair for all it offers. If a product boasts numerous features but falls short on accuracy, it may not justify its cost. Conversely, if a wearable performs more functions, and better, than its similarly priced competitors, it receives a higher valuation.

Typically, our testing period lasts at least one week, providing ample time to explore the product thoroughly. For some significant launches, this process can extend to weeks or even months. Furthermore, we regularly revisit tested devices to check for software updates and new features, ensuring our original conclusions remain valid over time.

Smartwatch Market Pulse: What Brands Do Users Prefer?

According to a recent survey encompassing 2283 votes, here’s the current landscape of preferred smartwatch brands:

Samsung: 25%
Google: 16%
Garmin: 16%
Amazfit: 12%
Others: 12%
Apple: 10%
OnePlus: 4%
Mobvoi: 3%
Withings: 2%

Overall Conclusion and Final Recommendation

Choosing the perfect smartwatch in 2026 hinges on understanding your specific needs and priorities. Whether you prioritize deep Android integration with the Pixel Watch 4, seamless iPhone connectivity and advanced health tracking with the Apple Watch Series 11, robust fitness capabilities from Garmin, or exceptional battery life with the OnePlus Watch 3, there’s an ideal device for you. Our comprehensive evaluation aims to equip you with the insights needed to make an informed decision, ensuring your next smartwatch is a perfect fit for your lifestyle. Consider your primary usage—be it fitness, smart features, or health monitoring—and align it with the strengths of the reviewed models. The right smartwatch isn’t just a gadget; it’s a powerful extension of your personal well-being and connectivity.